Other ADR Opportunities

Gain valuable legal experience and give back to your community by serving as a mediator, arbitrator or Special Master. CCCBA supports many other Alternative Dispute Resolution programs throughout the Bay Area.

We have included the list here and take an active role in supporting each organization’s important work.

To be the child’s voice in court, representing his or her best interests

To assist the Juvenile Court by researching and assessing the circumstances of each case

To report recommendations and findings

To monitor the progress of the case as it moves through the system

To become a source of support for the child

A CASA’s ultimate goal is to move the child out of temporary placement into a safe and permanent home. This could mean return to the parents, adoption, the appointment of a legal guardian, or some other permanent living arrangement that satisfies the Court and fulfills the child’s needs.

What is a CASA Case Review Panel Volunteer?

The CASA Case Review Panel is a panel discussion with an attorney or therapist who volunteers their time to coordinate the CASA review. The panel includes five CASA volunteers, too.

CASA attorneys or therapists of Contra Costa County hold case reviews four times a month – on the first and third Wednesday of each month at noon and at 5 p.m. Each session lasts an hour and a half to two hours.

Each CASA presents their child’s case to the panel and gets feedback about how to best advocate for the child and what to recommend to the court.

Contact Us

Attorneys or therapists interested in helping CASA of Contra Costa at case review on a volunteer basis should contact:

The Congress of Neutrals (The Congress) is a nonprofit California corporation that provides mediators, arbitrators, neutral assessors, and problem solving case-managers for all types of conflict: at home, among neighbors, problems involving elderly family members, between commercial organizations and corporations, and other groups.

The Congress helps resolve small claims, civil harassment, and unlawful detainer matters for the Contra Costa Superior Court. It provides training for neutrals and mediators in all forms of conflict resolution.

Community organizations or individuals involved in a conflict may also contact this organization to gain assistance in dispute resolution before a lawsuit has been started.

The Congress provides a variety of trainings, from one hour seminars to 25 and 40 hour comprehensive mediator training.

Mediators who have completed at least 25 hours or equivalent training can attend advanced mediation trainings. New mediators may apply to the mediation mentoring program (MMP) to gain valuable experience mediating at the Superior Court.

The Congress offers specially designed conflict management training for municipal agencies, and various MCLE programs for the legal community throughout the year.

The Superior Court of Contra Costa County offers four different types of Alternative Dispute Resolution programs and services in general civil cases:

Mediation

Arbitration

Neutral Case Evaluation

Settlement Mentors

All ADR panel members must meet the applicable training, education and experience requirements for their panel as set forth in the court’s local rules.

Mediation panel members provide 30 minutes of free case preparation time and two hours of free mediation time for each case assigned. If more time is needed, parties must pay the mediator’s hourly fee, unless a fee waiver has been granted, in which case the parties must reach an agreement with the mediator.

Arbitration is available for cases with a value of $50,000 or less or by agreement of the parties. Panel arbitrators are paid $150 per case or $150 per day if the arbitration takes more than one day.

The Neutral Case Evaluation program allows litigants and their lawyers to meet with an experienced trial attorney to get an independent opinion about their case and about likely outcomes if the case were to go to trial. The first 30 minutes of preparation and the first two hours of conference time with a neutral case evaluator are free of charge. If more time is needed, the parties must pay that evaluator’s hourly fee for the time used, although exceptions may be made in cases in which a fee waiver has been granted.

Settlement Mentors are attorneys who have background experience in the issues involved in the case. They may be available on the day of trial or earlier, if the case is referred by a judge. Settlement mentor services are free. Unlike mediation, proceedings before settlement mentors are not confidential.

For more information about court rules, application forms and instructions, visit the Court’s website at:cc-courts.org

Mediations are conducted in accord with California Rule of Court 5.518. Mediations are not available in cases filed pursuant to Welfare & Institutions Code sections 300 (d), (e), (f), and (i), and cases where family reunification services may not be offered pursuant to Welfare & Institutions Code section 361.5(b).

Specific qualifications must be met in order to serve as a mediator in this program, including completion of a 40 hour comprehensive mediation training program, a minimum of two years of experience as an attorney in juvenile dependency cases and experience in mediating or co-mediating a minimum of five cases. Mediators are paid a flat fee by the court.

For more information about court rules or qualifications, please contact:

The Family Law Section of the Contra Costa Bar Association (FLS) administers a Minors Counsel Program designed to provide the children of Contra Costa County representation as needed in Family Law custody and visitation disputes.

FLS maintains a rotation system involving qualified and court-approved attorneys accepting cases as they become available.

Attorneys for Minors (children) are appointed by court order only.

In order to participate as an Attorney in this program, specific qualifications must be met and each attorney must be approved by the Bench. Cases are compensated in two manners; either by a flat-rate fee paid by the county or at an hourly rate set by the court and billed to the appropriate parties (usually the parents).

For more information on how to apply to become a Minors Counsel, please contact:

Special Masters are attorneys or mental health professionals who serve in a quasi-judicial role. They are appointed by the court to handle cases which may need more immediate attention than the courts’ dockets and scheduling capabilities allow.

Custody Special Masters are appointed by stipulated court order only. Special Masters for other issues may be appointed by stipulation or court order.

Special Masters are compensated for their work by agreement with the parties, or pursuant to the terms of the appointment order.

The Court maintains a list of Court Approved Special Masters. Attorneys or Mental Health Professionals interested in serving as a Special Master must meet qualifications as outlined by the Court and the Family Law Section approved guidelines.